Game and game apparatus



. 1,548,068 w. D. SULLIVAN GAME AND GAME APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1925 6 INVENTOR' A T TORNE' Y5 Patented Aug. 4, 192.5.

UNITED STATES WALTER D, SULLIVAN,

OF CINCINNA'IL O'H IO.

GAME AND GAME APPARA'IUS.

Application filed May 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER D. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati; in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games and Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

' My inventionrelates to a new game and to the apparatus with which this game is played, and also to the layout of a course on which the game is played.

It is the object of my invention. to provide a club or mallet for playing a game which resembles in some features a game of golf, but which will primarily be of interest to children. It is my object to pro- .vide rules for playing this game which may be called kindergolf'in accordance with my publication describing the rules ofkindergolf. It is further my object to lay out a course in accordance with the requirements of the rules and to provide abutment elements which are simply and inexpensively made, and which areto be disposed in definite positions on'the course.

Further it is my object to provide. new clubs, new abutment elements, a new layout of a course, and new rules, for a game which shall be instructive to children in teaching them how to play the adult game of golf.

Referring tothe drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a preferred layout of a course for playing the game.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a club.

Figures 3 and 4 are plan views of head pieces which may be secured to a shaft of a club. J p

b Figure 5 is a side elevation of a suitable Figure 6 ,is a side elevation of my preferred construction of abutment member.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of abutment member.

Generally indicated at A is the starting position or tee for the players and the positions indicated at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are the preferred points at which the abutment members are to be placed. 4 The positions indicated 4, 5 and 6 are Ipreferably encircled b whitewashed. lines within which .lines di erent conditions of play may 'be 1925. Serial No. 28,480.

prescribed. The abutment members in Figure 6 which are to be placed in the numeach of the four corners. The top portions of the wire may be bent into engagement about each other and the wires may be further bent about each other to form a base which will not enter the grounds Two of the wires are preferably extended to form portions which may be pushed into the ground to hold the abutment member in position. I

A modification shown in Figure 7 of abutment member may be provided by a ball element J retained in a wire casing K with. extended ends of the wire for sinking into the ground.

The ball D which is to be played with is preferably of resilient material as it will be less dangerous to the players and will not injure the abutment member. The clubs to be played with are in the preferred embodiment illustrated made of wire of fairly stiff nature forming a shaft E onto the end of which a hollow wooden or composition handle F is inserted. The handle may be secured with adhesive material or threads may be cut in the end of the wire to fit within cooperating grooves in the hole within the handle. Other suitable means of securing the handle to the shaft will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

The end of the shaft opposite the handle is preferably bent over on itself to form a portion G which will securely hold the head of the club onto the shaft. A simple method of securing the shaft to the head H of the club is to out two pieces ofresilient material such asrubber in the shape of vertically bisected pieces of a golf club head, such as a clock and to hollow out a portion of the faces of these head portions as indicated at I to enclose the bent over portionof the shaft. The two sections of the head.

may then be secured with adhesive with the bentover portion of the shaft retained in the hollow art. Thus the head will be secured to t e shaft. Another method offorming the head is to first mold the entire head from a piece of rubber with a bisected slot and cooperating a 'rtures in the bi-' sected portions into wh1ch the shaft is inserted, and then cementin or vulcaniz ing the bisected portions toget er. The advanand a club for striking the ball comprising tage of this method of construction is that the head will then be more permanently secured to the shaft.

The clubs thus formed will be of sufficient resilience to require a firm sweeping stroke of the ball, instead of a chopping action in order to drive the ball straight which should develop good form for playing golf. Then there will be no danger of children injuring themselves with the clubs.

The preferred rules for playing the game are as follows :Two players starting at the tee drive off; the one toward the abutment member at 9, and the other toward the abutment member at 1. It is the prime object of the game, as in golf, to knock the ball and strike all of the abutments with the ball in as few strokes as possible. Further if the players so desire a certain number of .strokes may be deducted for the player finishing in the shortest time.v The encircled portions B about the abutments at the. positions 4, 5 and 6, may be used as safety zones in which only the first player playing his ball into the circle, may try for the abutment. A- modification of this rule would -be a rule that the first player to play his ball into the safety zone would have the right to knock away his opponents ball if it should be played into or near the circle before he had completed his play.

Various modifications in the rules and layout of the course will readily occur to those experienced in the game, and it will be advisable for older children to adapt different rules than younger ones. It may further be advisable to lay out the course with reference to bushes and the like to act as bunkers.

The advantages of playing this game are primarily in the excellent exercise which it affords as it requires both skillful aiming and speed. It further should teach all children playing it how to strike a ball with a club and control both the direction and the speed of the ball, which should be excellent practice for approaching and putting in the game of golf.

Having thus describedmy invention, 'what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A game comprising a course with a starting position and abutment members disposed in the ground at intervals of ten yards or more on the course, said game to be played by striking a ball so that the ball will hit the members one after the other to be: struck a handle for the club and a shaft secured 4 to the handle and a sectionally resilient rubber club head with means for securing the club head to the shaft.

2. A game comprising a course with a starting position and abutment members .secured in the ground at'selected intervals of ten yards or more on the course, said game to be played by striking the ball so that the ball will hit the abutment members one after the other, and a club for striking the ball comprising a handle with a shaft to which the handle is secured and a flexible sectionally resilient club head secured to the end of the shaft.

3. A game comprising a course with a starting position and abutment members secured in the ground at selected intervals of ten yards or more, and said game to be played by striking a ball from the starting position and causing the ball to. strike the abutment members one after the other, and a club for striking the ball comprising a handle sectionally with a shaft on the handle and a'sectionally resilient club head secured to the shaft, and circular lines inscribed.

secured in the handle, a sectionally resilient secured in the handle, a resilient club head secured on the shaft, said head formed of a piece of resilient material with a hollowed out portion in the resilient material for forming a pocket to secure the end of the shaft, and the head of the club shaped like a golf club and the shaft extended in a plane parallel with the faces of the head and secured in an aperture in thehead.

6. A course for playing a game such as kindergolf comprising a designated starting position and abutment members disposed at selected intervals of ten yards or more and apparatus for playing the game comprising at leasts one club with a sectionally resilient head mounted on a shaft with a gripping handle on the shaft and at least one ball with the club.

WALTER D. SULLIVAN. 

